Heads You Win

“I’ll do my best to locate them, chairman.”

“I seem to remember President Nixon saying something similar when he was ordered to produce the Watergate tapes.”

“I hardly think that a fair comparison, chairman.”

“I’ll let you know how I feel about that, Mr. Fowler, but not until I’ve read the minutes.”

* * *

“He did what?” said Ackroyd.

“Asked to see the bank’s audited accounts for the past five years and all the board minutes with any attached handwritten notes,” said Ray Fowler.

“Did he indeed? Then we’ll have to be rid of him before he gets his feet under the table, and starts causing any real problems.”

“That might be easier said than done,” said Fowler. “We’re not dealing with Lawrence Lowell any longer. This guy’s smart, tough, and ruthless. And don’t forget he now has control of fifty percent of the bank’s shares.”

“While Evelyn owns the other fifty percent,” said Ackroyd. “So he can’t do anything without our backing, certainly not while we still have a majority on the board.”

“But what if he were to find out—”

“Let me remind you, Ray, if the IRS were to discover what you’ve been up to for the past ten years, I can tell you exactly where the buck will stop, and as I’m not President Truman—it won’t be with me.”

* * *

There was a knock on the door.

Alex checked his watch: fifty-eight minutes and twenty seconds. He smiled and said, “Come in, Mr. Jardine.?

??

The door opened and the bank’s finance director led six of his staff into the chairman’s office, all of them laden down with boxes.

“Here are a few to be getting on with, chairman,” said Jardine, making no attempt to hide his sarcasm.

“Put them over there,” said Alex, pointing to a long table against the far wall.

The six assistants immediately carried out his orders, while Jardine stood and watched.

“Will that be all, chairman?” he said confidently.

“No, it won’t, Mr. Jardine. You said these were a few to be getting on with, so when can I expect the rest?”

“I’m afraid that was my feeble attempt at a little humor, chairman.”

“It fell on deaf ears, Mr. Jardine. Could you ensure that no one from your department leaves the building tonight before I do, and that includes you. I have a feeling,” he said, glancing across at the stack of files, “I’ll be needing several questions answered before I go home.”

* * *

“Evelyn, we have a problem.”

“Douglas, I expect you to take care of any problems at the bank, especially now you’re the chairman.”

“But I’m not the chairman,” said Ackroyd. “Just before he died, Lawrence appointed some guy called Alex Karpenko to take his place.”

“Not him again.”

“You know the man?”